


Long Day

by lowkeyamen



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Bitchy boyfriends, Does Soonyoung have a daddy kink or is he just being a lil bitch, Fluff, Leader line, Light Angst, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-01-05 01:40:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12180411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lowkeyamen/pseuds/lowkeyamen
Summary: Being a leader is tiring.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> idk where this came from (i'm lying its from change up obviously - i just loved the idea of the three leaders together after a long day sjhfkhds)  
> also sorry if soonyoung is really fucking ooc in this but i've never written him before and he just kept getting sassier and snarkier and i highkey loved it so here we are.  
> this is only short but pls enjoy!!
> 
> Ps expect typos as always lol

Jihoon threw his entire weight against his bedroom door, not sure his arms alone would be enough to push the rather heavy plank of wood open.

He had absolutely no energy. It was 3am and he had been up since before 6. His entire upper body hurt from being hunched over a computer all day, desperate to finish the song he was currently producing. Honestly, it could have been finished weeks ago if he wasn't such a fucking perfectionist. Everyone said it sounded good, but good wasn't enough. It had to sound perfect.

He just needed his bed. He needed to stretch his back out and curl up under the mountain of blankets he had acquired over the years. One was never enough.

At least he had a day off tomorrow. Maybe he could spend the entire day sleeping without any interruptions. Yeah, right. That would be asking for a miracle.

When he had agreed to be the leader of the vocal line, he honestly didn't think it would be that big of a deal. It's not like he was the overall leader of the group, and realistically, what did leaders do anyway? Introduce the group at the start of a video? That didn't seem like too much effort, he was pretty sure it was a superficial title to be honest.

But he couldn't have been more wrong.

Between Jeonghan's incessant whining and Seungkwan's constant bitching his head was done in.

_"I want more lines in this song."_

_"Okay, but, my voice is better, so...."_

_"Oh my god! You can't say that, Jihoon tell him to stop being so mean!"_

_"Jesus Christ, do you always have to go running to Daddy?"_

_"You know fine well the only person I call Daddy is-"_

_"For fucks sake, can you all just shut up and let me finish?" Jihoon dragged his hands down his face, groaning in frustration. Why were they all so loud and annoying? He just wanted to work in peace and quiet. "Please?"_

And now the four of them were in a mood with him. Instead of getting the peace and quiet he desired, he got even more whining and bitching.

_"Jihoon, you're so cold."_

_"There's no need to be like that."_

_"Yeah, we're only trying to help, asshole."_

_"Yeah, Jihoon."_

Sometimes he honestly felt like a single father of four hormonal teenagers than a singer/songwriter. And it was draining.

"Oh, for fucks sake." He groaned, realising who was in his bed. Maybe he used that phrase a little too often.

"Well, hi Jihoon, nice to see you too." Soonyoung deadpanned, sprawled out on the youngers bed. "What a lovely way to greet your boyfriend."

Jihoon groaned. Again. He was way too tired for Soonyoung's shit.

"Sorry, I'm just really tired. Everything hurts." He flopped down on the bed, face first, trying to ignore how unhealthy the springs sounded underneath his weight. He should really get a mattress.

"Why? What've you been doing all day?"

"Producing."

Soonyoung quirked an eyebrow.

"Producing? You're in physical pain because you've been _producing?_ "

"Uh, yeah?" Why was Soonyoung saying it like that? As if the idea of him being tired and his body hurting because he been composing all day was completely ludicrous.

"Jihoon. You've been sat down playing on a computer all day, you didn't exactly run a marathon."

"Hey! What the f-"

"Okay, here's your jelly and ice cream." Jihoon was interrupted by a voice coming from the doorway. _Jelly and ice cream?_

"Ugh! You're a life saver! Gimme!"

He sort of half, pushed himself up onto his elbows to see what was going on, despite it being a struggle, only to smile softly as Seungcheol passed a bowl of orange jiggly stuff to Soonyoung.

"Hey, Cheol."

"Hey, baby, you okay?"

"No, I'm tired." Jihoon whined, flopping back down onto the bed. He just wanted to sleep. Why was Soonyoung here taking up all the room? And why was he eating jelly and ice cream in Jihoon's bed at 3am?

Soonyoung scoffed. "He's had a really hard day sitting around clicking a mouse." He took a mouth full of jelly, a smug grin on his lips as he side eyed his boyfriend. There was nothing he enjoyed more than teasing Jihoon.

"Fuck you." He grumbled into the pillow, gravitating towards Seungcheol as the bed dipped beside him. It looked like he wasn't getting his bed to himself tonight.

"Jihoon works hard for all of us, Soonyoung. Leave him be." Jihoon let his eyes flutter shut as Seungcheol's fingers carded through his hair. Okay, maybe this was better than being left alone, after all.

Soonyoung gasped dramatically. "And I don't? I'm _literally_ crippled from choreographing all day. Seungcheol had to lift me into bed, I could barely walk. Plus, Chan is sick and kept sneezing on me so now _I'll_ probably get sick too."

Jihoon rolled his eyes at how dramatic his boyfriend was being as Soonyoung rambled on. He knew how hard Soonyoung worked, having to almost single handedly choreograph all of their dances mustn't be easy. But neither was producing. It might not be as physical but that didn't mean it wasn't hard.

"I was literally so sweaty I slipped on my own sweat and-"

"How is your face, anyway? Is the jelly easy enough to swallow?"

Jihoon stirred a little as Seungcheol spoke behind him. What was he talking about?

His eyes widened as Soonyoung turned to face the two of them, the right side of his jaw was completely swollen.

"Oh my god, what happened?" Jihoon sat bolt upright, fingers ghosting against his boyfriend’s cheek, trying his best not to apply any pressure and hurt the elder.

"Fell over when I was dancing. Landed on my face."

He hadn't actually picked up on the fact Soonyoung's speech was a little muffled until now. How hadn't he realised his boyfriend is in so much pain?

"Does it hurt?"

Soonyoung blinked as if you say _'well what do you think?'_

"I landed on my _face_ , Jihoon."

Jihoon blinked back. Having a swollen face clearly didn't stop Soonyoung's smart-ass mouth.

"You can't be in that much pain if you're willing to move your jaw to be a sarcastic little bitch."

"Okay, enough." Seungcheol looped his arm around Jihoon's waist, urging the smaller boy to lie down and rest. He was way too tired to deal with yet another argument between his two boyfriends. "We should really sleep."

"Only if Jihoon accepts my job is more tiring than his." Soonyoung quipped, placing his now empty bowl on the bedside table, arms defiantly folding across his chest.

"You don't have to deal with Seungkwan."

Seungcheol muttered a under his breath before rolling onto his back, arm draping over his eyes. He wasn't going to get to sleep any time soon, was he?

"No, but I have Junhui making eyes at literally anyone that comes within three metres of the dance studio, I practically had to drag him away from the window before he started dry humping it when that girl in marketing he likes walked past."

"I have a constant headache from Seokmin, like why does anyone have to be so loud all the fucking time."

"Okay, but you don't have to put up with-"

"For fucks sake!" The two of them stopped mid-bicker as their eldest boyfriend interrupted them, sounding particularly exasperated. "I have to put up with all twelve of you, how do you think I feel?"

Jihoon and Soonyoung exchanged a glance, trying to stifle a smile, it was rare Seungcheol raised his voice at any of them.

"I spent most of the day writing lyrics alone while the rest of my Unit just pissed about and ate. How can they possibly eat so much? Mingyu brought McDonalds in three times. Three. Then I had to comfort Jisoo, who was practically in tears because apparently _you_ ," he glared at Jihoon accusingly, "and Seungkwan were being mean to him. Plus, Chan's sick and insisted the only thing that would make him feel better was this specific chicken soup from across the city. Then-"

"Poor baby." Jihoon pouted, rolling onto his other side to face Seungcheol before he had the chance to continue. They'd be there all night if they had to listen to every single complaint from their dark-haired boyfriend.

"Poor Daddy." Soonyoung added, a slightly more mocking pout in his lips as he lay down behind Jihoon, resting the non-swollen side of his face on the youngers shoulder. "I'd offer you a blowjob, but... I'm not sure it'll fit in my mouth right now."

Seungcheol sent them both a sideways glare before laughing softly. He couldn't even pretend to be pissed off at them.

Soonyoung nudged Jihoon, snuggling in closer behind him. "That's your queue to suck him off, Ji."

Jihoon whined, shuffling a little bit so he could get comfortable now Soonyoung was pressed up against him. "I'm too sleepy...but if you wanna fuck my face while I just lie here feel free."

His boyfriends both laughed at the suggestion. Typical Jihoon. He would do just about anything to make them both happy even if he had no energy.

"It's fine, I'd probably just pass out mid-blowjob anyway." Seungcheol stretched, reaching over to turn the bedside lamp on his side off. As much as he loved having the youngers lips wrapped around him, he was also much too tired for that right now. He just needed to sleep.

Jihoon scoffed, not even bothering to open his eyes. "There's no way you'd be able to fall asleep, my head game is too strong."

Seungcheol smiled to himself, shuffling a little closer to Jihoon so his fingers could card through freshly dyed fire hydrant red hair. He preferred the colour on Jihoon to himself. Though, he was sure Jihoon could pull off any colour.

He let his eyes flutter shut, sinking into the pillows as fatigue overtook him, Jihoon's steady breathing lulling him to sleep as the younger nuzzled into his neck. But he could sense something was wrong, like someone was staring at him.

He cracked an eye open to find Soonyoung propped up on his elbow, staring directly at him, an eyebrow quirked.

"Uh, where the fuck is my cuddle?"

Jihoon groaned. He was just about to drift off to sleep, and here was Soonyoung, interrupting him. Standard.

He reached behind himself, grabbing Soonyoung’s arm and wrapping it around himself so the elder was spooning him.

"There. Now shut the fuck up and go to sleep."

"I want Seungcheol to cuddle me."

"Well, I'm in the middle, so-"

"You're always in the middle, that's not fair."

"Because I'm tiny and adorable and you're just annoyi-"

"Guys." Seungcheol had let his eyes fall back shut, hoping he could just tune them out and just fall asleep but who was he kidding. "Can we not?"

"Cheol," Soonyoung whined, reaching across Jihoon to paw at the dark-haired boy, "you get in the middle."

"But Jihoon's-"

"For fucks sake." All Jihoon wanted was to sleep, something he would have achieved at least half an hour ago if his bed was empty.

He pushed himself up, trying to manoeuvre himself over Seungcheol to the far side of the bed, at least he'd be further away from Soonyoung's bullshit that way. But his limbs were far too heavy, he was delirious and noting seemed to be working, opting instead to roll over his boyfriend.

Seungcheol let out a breathy laugh as Jihoon flopped down on top of him, helping the younger out. Thank god Jihoon wasn't heavy. He scooted across the bed, closer to Soonyoung so his boyfriends could snuggle into either side of him. He was actually pretty glad the blonde had suggested this, he loved being in the middle.

"There. Happy?" Jihoon grumbled, instantly nuzzling back into Seungcheol’s neck, just on the other side this time. Hopefully this would stop Soonyoung's bitching so he could finally get some sleep.

"Yes." Soonyoung beamed, nuzzling into Seungcheol’s other side, an arm wrapping around the elder’s waist, fingers lacing with Jihoon's as he snuggled into his boyfriend’s chest, a smirk on his lips. "Thanks, Daddy."

Seungcheol wrapped an arm around each of them, pulling them in even closer so he could press a kiss to each of their foreheads. He definitely preferred being in the middle. A gorgeous boy on each side? As if he could complain.

He finally let himself relax, really relax. He let all the tension of being responsible for twelve other people slip away as Jihoon and Soonyoung cuddled into him, legs tangling, featherlight kisses spread across his cheeks as they wished each other goodnight.

Sometimes he felt like the two of them were the only thing that kept him sane, which in a way was insane considering all they did was bitch at one another. But, it seemed to keep him grounded, and there was way more to their relationship than sarcastic comments and sly digs. He always had someone to unload to, someone to massage his shoulders when it felt like he was carrying too much weight on them, someone to make out with, to fuck into when he needed to let off some steam, someone to lie around and do absolutely nothing with when he needed to completely relax. No matter what he knew he could always count on Soonyoung to inject a little sunshine into his life or Jihoon to give him the strength to carry on. And he knew he would always have someone to love him. Well, two someone's.

He nuzzled into Jihoon's dyed locks, pressing another kiss to the youngers hair. He had completely passed out, breath steady against the crook of Seungcheol’s neck. His fingers absentmindedly rubbed soothing circles into the small of Soonyoung's back, knowing the dancer was aching more than he let on, despite trying to out-do Jihoon later.

"Cheol?"

Seungcheol hummed, an indicator he was listening to Soonyoung without actually having to move his mouth.

"You know how we're off tomorrow?"

Another hum.

"Can we just lie around and do nothing but sleep and fuck?"

Seungcheol snorted, causing Jihoon to stir a little beside him, arm stretching about across his stomach, tiny fingers loosely fisting into Soonyoung's shirt. The eldest of the three of them smiled contentedly to himself.

"That sounds perfect."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments and kudos are always greatly appreciated!! pls let me know what u thought ♡  
> if you wanna shout at me abt anything feel free to add me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/lowkeyamen) (i am friendless) or on [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/lowkeyamen/) (where i talk all sorts of gay shit) and i also have a [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/lowkeyamen) bc, well, i am despo for attention pls love me uwu thank u xo


	2. Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I was planning on just leaving this as a oneshot but I love leader!line together so much I've decided to make it into a series of oneshots bc why not??
> 
> This goes into how the three of them came to be together so hopefully you enjoy it and there will be more to come!!

"Seungcheol!"  
"Shhh!" Seungcheol let out a breathy laugh, hand clamping over Jihoon's mouth as he tried to shut his boyfriend up. He slowed the pace of his hips down, hoping it would make for a quieter fuck. "Someone will hear us."

"Maybe I want them to." Jihoon pouted back, legs wrapping around Seungcheol's waist, pulling him in closer, deeper.

It had been a year since they confessed to one another. An entire year and he still felt like Seungcheol's dirty little secret.

Okay, maybe that was a little harsh, it's not like Seungcheol was ashamed of him or anything, they just...the others couldn't know. They had barely debuted, preparing for the first comeback with the hopes of making it big. Throwing a relationship into the mix would just fuck everything up.

Dating wasn't exactly something they talked about often as a group, never mind same-sex dating. Neither of them had any idea which way the other members swung, they just didn't discuss it. Ever.

It was a sheer fluke that Jihoon and Seungcheol even got together, thanks to a fever which made the elder so delirious he had no idea what he was saying.

"Do you ever...wish you had four hands instead of feet?"

"What?"

"Like...you could, like, carry so much stuff."

Jihoon shook his head, pressing the back of his hand to Seungcheol's forehead. Still red hot. His fever didn't seem to be getting any better.

"Do you ever wonder..."

Jihoon sighed, wringing out a damp towel in an attempt to cool the elder down as he babbled on.

"...because I do."

"What?" He clearly hadn't been listening to Seungcheol properly.

"How soft your lips are."

Jihoon's face flushed, heating up to roughly the same temperature as Seungcheol's. But he hadn't suddenly gotten sick, no. He was... did Seungcheol really just say that?

"They look soft. Can I try them?"

"Uh-" Jihoon had no idea how to answer that. His fellow trainee wanted to kiss him? Kiss him? Another male? Jihoon had never even really kissed a girl before, he had been a trainee for almost six years, dating and girls weren't really on his radar.

At least that's what he told himself whenever girlfriends were mentioned. He was just too busy for one. It wasn't like he wasn't into girls...he just didn't have time for them. Because what was the alternative? That he was into boys? Jesus no. That couldn't happen. He had sacrificed too much of his life, trained way too hard for that to be true. No. He was completely heterosexual.

Though...Seungcheol did look kind of pathetic lying there, and it would probably make the elder feel better, maybe even stop his incessant whining.

So, he leaned in, no questions asked, as he brushed his lips up against Seungcheol's. He let his eyes flutter shut as Seungcheol retaliated, lips pursing to really give him a feel of how soft they were. And they were pretty soft. Seungcheol may have been completely out of it, fever messing with his mind, but he definitely remembered how soft Jihoon's lips were.

The elder giggled uncharacteristically as Jihoon pulled away, mainly at how red the others cheeks were. Cute.

"They were pretty soft. But maybe I need to try them again just to make sure."

Jihoon had no idea how he ended up in Seungcheol's bed that night, hushed whispers and subdued giggles as they pulled the duvet over their heads, shielding them from any potential spying eyes. It didn't even seem to cross his mind that Seungcheol was sick, and kissing him would in turn make Jihoon sick. He just didn't really care.

"You should be my boyfriend."

Jihoon's eyes snapped open. The two of them had been drifting off to sleep, foreheads pressed together before Seungcheol spoke up. Was he- Was he being serious?

"B-boyfriend?"

"Yeah. Then we could kiss all of the time."

Jihoon was fairly sure the fever was going to Seungcheol's brain. There was no way he meant that.

But the look in Seungcheol's eyes said otherwise. He looked so...sincere. Determined, almost?

"You're just saying that because you're sick."

"I'm not." Seungcheol replied without hesitation. "I mean it. I like you a lot, Jihoon. And I dunno but...I dunno if you do but I think you feel the same."

Jihoon swallowed thickly. Did he feel the same? He and Seungcheol were close, sure, they had trained together for years. They were going to debut together. Be in the same group. Work towards their shared dream.

And he liked Seungcheol, he really did, they got along great and honestly, he spent more time with the elder than any of the other trainees. But did he like him that much? He wasn't so sure. That was a big step to take.

But...they had just kissed. A lot. And Jihoon wasn't even sick. He had done it out of choice. Maybe he wasn't so heterosexual after all. But on some level, he had already known that, he just could never admit it to himself.

"A-are you sure?" Jihoon's voice was small, almost afraid to ask. What if Seungcheol really was just saying this because he was sick? He was on a lot of medication right now, and his temperature was off the scale. Surely, he wasn't thinking straight.

"Yes." Seungcheol wasn't sure why Jihoon was having such a difficult time grasping what he was saying. He wanted them to be together. He couldn't have said it in a simpler way. "I think you should be my boyfriend. Imagine how cute we'd be together."

Jihoon laughed softly, glad they were buried under the covers so Seungcheol couldn't see his blush. Maybe they would be cute together. He had no idea. The thought has never even crossed his mind.

"Can I- Can I think about it?"

"Sure!" Seungcheol's beamed back, that was a good enough answer for him. For now. He knew Jihoon would say yes eventually. He didn't know why, couldn't explain it but he just felt like they were meant to be together.

And once he was better, he wasted no time in proving to Jihoon that they would be perfect together. He showered him with gifts, nothing lavish, he didn't exactly have the money, but every cup of coffee or tiny stuffed animal made Jihoon blush every time. He would snuggle up with the younger at night when it was too cold to sleep alone. He would supply Jihoon with all of the kisses and cuddles and shoulder massages he needed whenever he was having a particularly shitty day.

And obviously, it worked a treat.

"Okay, fine."

The two of them were sat in the corner of a quiet cafe, sipping milkshakes Seungcheol insisted on buying.

"Fine what?"

"I'll be your boyfriend."

A wide grin broke into Seungcheol's face as he leaned across the table, closing in on Jihoon, just to make sure he'd heard that right.

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

And that's how they ended up together. Jihoon loved their relationship, he really did. He loved Seungcheol more than anything. He loved spending every day with the elder, loved living with him, loved being with him.

He just hated the secrecy.

"Do you ever think about fucking any of the other members?"

Jihoon choked on his drink. Where the fuck did that come from? He and Soonyoung were just sat in his studio, milling over some lyrics in perfect silence when the blonde spoke up out of nowhere. He coughed and spluttered as a hand patted him on the back, almost nonchalantly.

"What?" Jihoon just about managed to gasp out once his airways were clear.

"Just wondering. I'm so fucking horny lately it's kind of all I think about."

Jihoon flushed, nervously rearranging the stack of papers in front of him as he struggled to respond. What was he even meant to say? Lying wasn't exactly his strong suit. He didn't even know Soonyoung liked other guys. It was never something they spoke about. Why was he so brazen in bringing something like that up?

"Uh- N-no, I can't say I have." Jihoon lord as he cleared his throat. He wasn't great when put on the spot.

"I don't believe you."

"I haven't!" Jihoon squeaked, avoiding eye contact with the elder, eyes focused on the scribbles in front of him. "I'm not even-"

"Gay?" Soonyoung scoffed. "Please. Don't lie to me, Jihoon. It's nothing to be embarrassed about. There's nothing wrong with being gay. You know that."

"I-I didn't say there was it's just-" Jihoon really hated lying, especially about who he was, but it was just easier that way; if no one knew. "I'm not."

Soonyoung quirked an eyebrow. He could read Jihoon like a book. Plus, he had totally found a massive dildo in the youngers closet the other day. Not that he was snooping or anything.

"Well, I have." Being in a group with so many other attractive guys was hard, especially when he barely had the time to go out and meet anyone himself. He had no idea which of them members were gay - apart from Jihoon, obviously - but he still thought about a lot of them. Not always voluntarily, sometimes he just happened to awake from a dream where Seokmin had him pinned to a wall, but he couldn't help that. He wasn't in control of his subconscious. "I know Mingyu acts all sweet and cuddly and shit, but I bet he's a beast in bed. And then there's Jeonghan, like, he's pretty as fuck and a total diva, but I bet he'd tie you up and spank you until you couldn't fucking walk. Oh! And-"

Jihoon zoned out as Soonyoung prattled on, theorising how the rest of the members of their group would be in bed. He didn't really care, he had no interest in anyone else, so he let the elder babble away to himself as he tried to get on with his work.

"I bet Seungcheol likes being called Daddy."

Jihoon was glad he hadn't reached for another drink of water, because no doubt he would have spat it out all over the lyrics he'd been agonising over for weeks and they'd be ruined. He did, however, manage to choke on his own saliva.

"Oh my god! Soonyoung!"

"What? Did that turn you on?" Soonyoung wiggled his eyebrows, smirking at the beetroot red boy beside him. "I bet his dick is fucking huge and he'd like bend you over, arms restrained behind your back as he fucked you against a table until your legs gave way."

Jihoon was stunned to silence. Had Soonyoung really been thinking about his boyfriend like that? His boyfriend? Jihoon wasn't really the jealous type, but...it felt weird hearing someone else talk about his Seungcheol like that.

"But I bet he's super sweet and caring after. God, I bet he makes the best boyfriend." Soonyoung sighed, almost dreamily.

He cleared his throat again, reorganising his papers. Again. How the fuck was he meant to respond? He didn't want to give their relationship away, neither of them were ready for everyone to know. But at the same time, he didn't like the idea of Soonyoung getting himself off to thoughts of the man he was in love with.

"You shouldn't talk about your hyung like that, Soonyoung." Jihoon stood, voice emotionless as he turned to leave the room. He couldn't sit around and listen to any more of this.

Jihoon tried to keep his distance from Soonyoung over the coming days, something that wasn't exactly easy considering they lived and worked together. But Soonyoung didn't even seem to notice, just carried on with his life, still laughed and joked around with Jihoon and Seungcheol despite the fact the smaller boy was seething under the surface. He couldn't show it though, because as far as Soonyoung was aware, he had no right to be jealous. But every time the blonde so much as looked at his boyfriend he wanted to break something.

"Mmmm, Jihoon." Seungcheol chuckled as his boyfriend sat in his lap, legs straddling his own as a plethora of kisses were scattered across his neck and jawline. He loved this. When the two of them could manage to get away from everyone else and just be together. He loved the way Jihoon's lips felt against his skin. The way the younger moaned his name as his hips rolled, increasing the friction between them. He loved how tiny and compliant Jihoon felt in his lap. He loved everything about it.

But it wouldn't take long for Jihoon to step things up a notch. It just so happened that Jihoon chose to do that by sinking his teeth into Seungcheol's neck.

"Woah!" Seungcheol pulled back, eyes wide. "Jii, we've talked about this."

Jihoon's bottom lip jutted out. He knew they had. He just- He wanted to mark Seungcheol as his own. It was hard enough watching their fans fawn over him, never mind knowing what filth was going through Soonyoung's head.

"I just- Sorry."

Seungcheol sighed, arms looping around his boyfriend's waist, pulling him in close. He knew how hard this was on Jihoon, but they didn't really have a choice. They could never go public, and they couldn't risk too many people knowing in case it got out.

"I know how much you want us to be like a... normal couple, but we have to be careful. We've worked so hard."

"I know..." Jihoon's voice was small, and it broke Seungcheol's heart. He knew all of that, he did. It was the one part of idol life he hated. "I just- I hate people looking at your when you're mine."

"I hate that too." Jihoon barely even finished his sentence when Seungcheol spoke up. "I hate the way people look at you, the way the other members touch you, when you cuddle with them instead of me."

A small smile crept onto Jihoon's lips as Seungcheol spoke. It made something in his stomach flutter. But in a good way, not a nauseous way.

"I would love everyone to know you belong to me." Seungcheol leaned in, catching the youngers lips in his own, claiming Jihoon as his despite the fact no one else could see. Because Jihoon was his.

"I know." Jihoon breathed out against Seungcheol's lips, deepening their kiss. He knew how much Seungcheol loved him, the elder had gone above and beyond to prove that. He was risking everything for Jihoon, and as much as he would love everyone to know, he couldn't do that to Seungcheol. He wasn't that selfish.

He loved what they had, he really did. In a way the secrecy was kind of cute. It was just between them. They had no one interfering or trying to get between them. They were in their own little bubble and he sort of loved that.

It was better than not having Seungcheol at all, anyway.

Jihoon hummed as Seungcheol's fingers crept up under his sweatshirt, silently begging for it to be removed. Jihoon was more than happy to oblige, so long as Seungcheol's shirt followed, which it did.

Seungcheol moaned as Jihoon pressed up against him, hips picking up from where they left off before. That was more like it. He hated the idea of Jihoon feeling insecure.

"Fuck!" Jihoon gasped out as Seungcheol's hand slipped into his shorts, gripping at the rapidly growing bulge in his boxers. "Seungcheol, please."

"Please what, baby?" Seungcheol growled, teeth digging into the pink-haired boy's bottom lip. "I want to hear you say it."

"Cheol-" Jihoon whined, almost pathetically, hips grinding down into his boyfriend's grasp. He needed more, and was in no way shy about asking for it, but Seungcheol was making him feel so good he could barely get his words out. "Just - Ah! - Please. Fuck me!"

Seungcheol chuckled lowly. There was nothing he loved more than those words spilling over Jihoon's lips.

"Good boy. You wanna ride me? Huh?"

Jihoon nodded feverishly, growing increasingly more impatient, desperate for Seungcheol as the elder's fingers hooked in the waistband of his shorts, ever so slowly pulling them down.

"Seungcheollie, please-"

"Jihoon! Where the fuck are...you?"

Jihoon jumped out of Seungcheol's lap, scrambling onto the sofa beside his boyfriend as he tried to cover his modesty. What the fuck? Who was th-

Soonyoung.

The blonde was staring back at them from the doorway, mouth agape.

Seungcheol was frozen beside him, breath shallow. This was it. His worst nightmare. He never wanted the others to find out. Especially not like this.

Jihoon's eyes flickered between the two of them, great pounding as both of the elder boys remained unmoving. What the fuck was he meant to do? No one was saying anything. Should he say something? Should he break the silence? What was he even meant to say? What was going to happen now? Would Soonyoung tell everyone? At least Soonyoung liked guys too so he wouldn't be too judgemental but...what about the rest of them?

Jihoon swallowed thickly, wishing his mouth wasn't so dry.

"Soony-"

Jihoon didn't even get to finish saying the elders name before he fled.

"Fuck." Seungcheol whispered out beside him, finally allowing himself to breathe. This was so fucked up. What were they meant to do now? This was the last thing he wanted to happen.

Jihoon could see the distress in his boyfriend's eyes. He needed to fix this.

"I'll go after him." Jihoon stood, readjusting himself and haphazardly throwing his shirt back on before taking off after Soonyoung, following the sound of the other's footsteps as they echoed around the empty building.

"Soonyoung?" It had sounded like he went this way, but maybe Jihoon had missed him, maybe he had already left. Fuck. But as he rounded a corner he saw a flash of blonde hair. Thank god. "Soonyoung!"

Soonyoung didn't even slow down as Jihoon hurried to catch up to him. He was the last person he wanted to see right now. He just wanted to go home and-

"Soonyoung, wait." A hand on his shoulder spun him around. Jihoon was a lot stronger than he looked. "Let me exp-"

Jihoon's eyebrows furrowed as his eyes locked on Soonyoung's. They were red, bloodshot and glassy. Had he- Had he been crying?

"Are you oka-"

"How could you do this to me?" Soonyoung's voice cracked, catching Jihoon off guard. This definitely wasn't the reaction he was expecting.

"Do wha- What do you mean?"

Soonyoung laughed bitterly, using the back of his sleeve to wipe his eyes. Was Jihoon being serious?

"You're fucking Seungcheol behind my back. You knew I liked him and you're fucking him." Soonyoung squeaked out, voice raising an octave, vocal chords strained from crying. "Is that why you went after him? You've been weird with me lately, have I don't something wrong? Are you getting back at me for something?"

"What? No, you haven't, you-" Wait. Soonyoung liked Seungcheol? Jihoon thought he just wanted to sleep with him, like he seemed to with most of the members. Soonyoung had never mentioned having feelings for him. "You like him?"

"Yeah!" Soonyoung retorted as if was it was the most blatant thing in the world. Of course, he liked him. He would always seek Seungcheol out for comfort over any of the other members. He was overly giggly and flirtatious and touchy with their leader, and he thought that was pretty fucking obvious. Either Jihoon was completely oblivious, or he just couldn't give a fuck about Soonyoung's feelings. And after the conversation they'd had, he was pretty sure it was the latter. "I'm fucking in love with him, Jihoon. Are you seriously telling me you didn't know that?"

Jihoon's heart skipped a beat. In love with? Soonyoung was in love with Seungcheol? His boyfriend? His Seungcheol? He couldn't be. Soonyoung just wanted a quick fuck, that's all. There was no way he could be in love with Seungcheol.

"You just- You said you wanted to sleep with him. That you thought about some of the others like that not that you-" Jihoon took a deep, shuddering breath in. What the fuck was he meant to say to that? One of his best friends was in love with his boyfriend. Should he tell Soonyoung what was going on between them? Or should he keep it a secret? Pretend it was just a fling? No. He couldn't do that. He could never downplay what he and Seungcheol had.

Jihoon's eyes welled up, mirroring Soonyoung's as he thought about his boyfriend. About how in love they were. Soonyoung couldn't be in love with him. He just couldn't.

"He's my boyfriend, Soonyoung. We've been together over a year. We're in love."

Soonyoung's jaw dropped. What? There was no way that could be true. Jihoon was just saying that because he wanted him out of the way, so he could get to Seungcheol first. A year? There was no way they could have been together a year. Not without anyone knowing. Not without him picking up on it. He would have known if Seungcheol was seeing someone else.

"No, you're not."

"Y-Yes we are, Soonyoung. We got together before we debuted but obviously we couldn't tell anyone."

"You told me you were straight."

"I-I lied." Jihoon's voice was barely above a whisper. He hated lying about his sexuality because he wasn't ashamed at all, he would just much rather it wasn't brought up, so then technically he wouldn't have to lie. But, he also felt bad about lying to Soonyoung. The two of them were pretty close.

Soonyoung blinked back a fresh set of tears. He couldn't believe this. Not only had he found his best friend dry humping the guy he had a crush on, but they had also apparently been together for fucking ages. Without even telling him. What sort of friendship was that?

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"We- We agreed not to tell anyone, Soonyoung. You know what it's like we- We can't risk this getting out and I don't know how the others feel about...this."

"You know how I feel." Soonyoung couldn't hold back the tears this time, spilling over long eyelashes and cascading down round cheeks. Jihoon was the only person he had opened up to about his sexuality in this god forsaken group, and the younger didn't even trust him enough to tell him he'd been in a relationship for the past year. "You know I would never judge you for that and I wouldn't tell anyone, but you clearly didn't trust me."

This wasn't even about his feelings for Seungcheol anymore. Sure, it felt shitty that they had been fucking around behind his back, but if what Jihoon was saying was true, then their relationship started way before Soonyoung's crush had even began to develop.

This was about their friendship. About how Jihoon had been lying to him for the past year. About how Jihoon didn't trust him.

And that hurt more than anything.

"It wasn't like that, we- I'm sorry, okay. We were just scared and- We've worked so hard and we didn't want to ruin anything for you guys and-"

Now Jihoon was crying too, because he meant it. He hated that they had to keep their relationship a secret, especially from their friends. But they just couldn't risk anything. If even one member of their group was homophobic or even a little too loud then their careers would be over. If the company found out about them then that would be it.

"-I'm sorry."

"Is...is everything alright?" Seungcheol tentatively peeked around the corner. Crying was the last thing he expected to hear.

Soonyoung couldn't even look at him, hurriedly wiping his face dry with his sleeves, hoping he didn't look too much of a mess. Not that it mattered. Seungcheol clearly didn't like him back.

"Yeah. It's fine." Soonyoung cleared his throat, trying his best to put on a brave face, despite the fact his heart was breaking as Seungcheol closed in to wrap a protective arm around Jihoon's shoulders. "I'm not going to tell anyone. Y-you two clearly like each other a lot so... Who am I to stand in your way?"

He plastered on a fake smile, one he wasn't used to having because, generally, Soonyoung was always happy. He was Seventeen's Hoshi, their mood maker, their shining star.

"Well, thanks, Soonyoung, that means a lot." Seungcheol's smile was genuine as he reached across to thumb a stray tear away from the blonde's cheeks. It took everything Soonyoung had to stop himself from completely breaking down.

So, he just nodded, not trusting his voice to reply, in case he said something stupid. He needed to get out of here.

"Soony-" Jihoon reached out for his best friend, not sure what he was planning on saying but...he couldn't leave things like this.

"It's fine. He's fine." Seungcheol wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, pulling the younger in. He knew Jihoon had a tendency to worry, but Soonyoung wasn't going to tell anyone. The blonde was loyal, that he knew for sure.

But that wasn't what Jihoon was worried about.

The next few months were...awkward to say the least. Mainly between Jihoon and Soonyoung. Seungcheol still had no idea what Soonyoung felt for him, Jihoon had no idea how to broach the subject, so he just kept it to himself meaning Seungcheol would still laugh and joke around and be touchy-feely with the dancer. Soonyoung would go along with it but Jihoon would catch a flicker of hurt in his eyes every so often.

He was being selfish. He hadn't told Seungcheol in case the elder decided that, actually, he preferred Soonyoung over Jihoon and broke up with him. But he could see that this was destroying Soonyoung.

"You know that night Soonyoung walked in on us?"

"Hm?" Seungcheol cracked open an eye to look at his boyfriend. They were touring and had been lucky enough to be rooming together, meaning they got a huge king-sized bed to themselves with a locked door where no one else could get to them. "Yeah?"

"He told me something... Something I never told you."

"Oh?" Seungcheol sat up, weight resting on his elbow as he looked down at his boyfriend. Jihoon looked...nervous. "What was it, baby?"

"He told me-" Jihoon took a deep breath. Was he really going to tell the love of his life that one of his best friends was in love with him? This could totally backfire, and he could end up alone. But...it was cruel to let Seungcheol continue to act the way he did with Soonyoung. "He told me he likes you. A lot."

"Wow."

"Wow? Is that all you have to say?"

"I just...didn't see it coming because... Well, he told me that he's in love with you"

What?

"What?"

"I asked him why he was crying, because I found it kind of weird and, yeah, he said that was why. It was a shock seeing the two of us together."

"But..." that couldn't be right. Soonyoung wasn't in love with him. "He must have just said that as an excuse, cause he couldn't tell you that it was you he's in love with."

"I dunno, Jihoon. I had picked up on the way he looks at you, how close you two are. That's why I never said anything...I was kinda jealous."

Jihoon couldn't help but laugh. He didn't really know what else to do. This was so...surreal. Was Soonyoung seriously in love with them both? He couldn't possibly be, right? That wasn't a thing. People were only meant to have feelings that strong for one person, right?

"Do you really believe he's in love with the two of us?"

"I don't see why not." Seungcheol shrugged. "Maybe he's polyamorous."

"Poly-what?"

"Polyamorous. Like, its where you have more than one boyfriend or whatever."

Why did Seungcheol even know what that meant? Was he.... into that? Jihoon wasn't sure he could share Seungcheol with anyone.

"Oh. That's kinda...weird."

"Not really. I think people are more than capable of loving two people at once. Maybe even more."

Jihoon felt his stomach flip. Did Seungcheol feel like that too? He wasn't so sure he wanted to know the answer, so he opted to hum instead, putting an end to the conversation.

Ever since that night Jihoon felt...awkward. Not just around Soonyoung, but around his boyfriend too. It just made him feel uncomfortable that Seungcheol knew Soonyoung liked him and had also hinted at being interested in this polyamory business.

It terrified him.

But...

There were days, when they were driving somewhere, and he was always crammed in the middle seat because he was the smallest and Joshua would rest his head on Jihoon's shoulder on one side and Mingyu would wrap an around around his waist on the other and he...he really liked it. Being in the middle. Having someone on each side of him. And he may not like either of them in that way, be in love with them, but they were his friends and there was something about having not one, but two, doting on him that made his heart swell.

He began to seek out comfort in more than one person, which was a lot easier than one would think considering they had an odd-numbered group. He'd always volunteer to sleep in the three-person room when they stayed in hotels, managing to wiggle his way into sleeping in the double bed between two of the other members than sleeping in the single on his own. He would never sit on the end of a row at award shows or recordings, and because he had been so affectionate recently at least one person would always wrap their arms around him.

And he loved it. He really did.

Until one day, at a V Live recording, he found himself sandwiched between Seungcheol and Soonyoung; his boyfriend who he had been growing ever more distant with despite getting closer to everyone else, and the guy that had a crush on both him and aforementioned boyfriend. Great.

He felt tense, really tense. Spine poker straight, legs crossed, jaw clenched, fingers fidgeting. He just wanted this to be over.

But Seungcheol picked up on it, he always did. Even though it felt like Jihoon was going out of his way to spend time with other people instead of him, he was still hyper-sensitive to his boyfriend's needs.

Luckily, they were sat behind a table, so he could lace his fingers with Jihoon's without anyone noticing. The younger flinched a little at the contact, but relaxed into it almost instantly. He sort of hated himself for being so distant from Seungcheol, he had missed him so much.

He sighed contentedly to himself, laughing along with the other members as they discussed their latest comeback. As if they were releasing their third single already. Everything seemed to be moving so quickly, but Jihoon was loving every second of it.

He smiled to himself as something soft came into contact with his right arm, on the other side of Seungcheol, instinctively leaning into it, head resting on the shoulder of whoever was beside him. That was definitely the best part of being so much shorter than everyone else, using a shoulder as a pillow didn't involve him straining his neck. He let his fingers intertwine with whoever was on the other side of him, feeling well and truly at home.

He didn't even register who he was snuggled into until the live ended and they all stood to leave the studio, when he turned and found himself face-to-face with Soonyoung. And he didn't look impressed.

Fuck.

"Soonyoung, wait-" Jihoon caught up to the elder, once the rest of them were out of the way. If he had known at was Soonyoung he never would have cuddled into him, he just...forgot.

"Jihoon. Don't." Soonyoung warned, not even wanting to look at him. He was trying his best to hold his tears back, but he wasn't sure he could last much longer so he would really appreciate it if Jihoon would just leave.

"I didn't mean to-"

"You didn't mean to what?" Soonyoung spun around on his heel. Okay. Maybe he didn't care if Jihoon saw him cry because he was well and truly sick of this. "To ignore me for months, or tell Seungcheol how I feel - and, no doubt you've been laughing about me behind my back. Or you didn't mean to play with my feelings by fucking cuddling into me and holding my hand on live fucking tv where I couldn't escape?"

Jihoon's breath hitched. He- He hadn't meant any of those things he... He didn't realise Soonyoung felt like that. Part of him didn't believe that the elder actually liked him, never mind was in love with him, but...maybe he was.

"I didn't- Soonyoung, I never meant to hurt you."

"Well, you did, okay? I get that you'd feel weird about me liking your boyfriend and... you, but-" Soonyoung took a shuddering breath in, eyes focusing on his hands, so he didn't have to look at Jihoon. "But did you really have to pretend I don't exist? You were my best friend, Jihoon."

Jihoon's heart shattered as Soonyoung began to sob. He had only ever seen him cry once before, and that was after he had walked in on him and Seungcheol. Maybe this went deeper than Jihoon first thought. He had never really considered Soonyoung's feelings in all of this, he had only really been thinking of himself and Seungcheol.

"Soonyoung, I-" Jihoon sighed, fingers running through his dark hair as he tried to figure out how to apologise. "I was being selfish I- I'm sorry. I just- I dunno I was being jealous and stupid, and I was scared that maybe Seungcheol would prefer you over me but then I found out that you..."

Jihoon couldn't even bring himself to say it, because he wasn't sure he wanted it to be true. Because...maybe he had been avoiding Soonyoung for the same reason, he just couldn't admit it to himself. He had Seungcheol. Surely that was, like, cheating, right? He couldn't have feelings for someone else while having a boyfriend. That wasn't right.

But ever since Seungcheol told him...he couldn't stop thinking about Soonyoung.

And he had only just realised that.

Fuck.

That's why he'd been feeling so nauseous lately. Keeping as far away from Soonyoung as possible. As far away from Seungcheol as possible. He wasn't jealous, he wasn't scared they were messing around behind his back.

He felt guilty.

Soonyoung scoffed. "I'm not gonna make a move on you, Jii, don't fucking worry."

"It's not that it's because I-" Jihoon blurted out before pausing. Shit. Did he nearly admit that aloud?

"Because what?"

"I-I need to go." Jihoon turned, he hadn't even talked to Seungcheol about this. Hell, he wasn't even fully sure that's how he felt he just-

But then fingers wrapped around his wrist, spinning him around until something came into contact with his lips.

Soonyoung.

Jihoon felt himself freeze, before instinct kicked in and kissed Soonyoung back. His lips were so...warm and soft. They tasted a little like salted caramel and Jihoon couldn't help but part his own, silently asking for more. His head was swimming, stomach churning, skin tingling. He was kissing Soonyoung and it felt amazing. Soonyoung, his best friend, his crush, his-

Crush?

His crush?

That's when his brain caught up to his body.

What the fuck was he doing? He had a boyfriend. He was in love. With Seungcheol, not Soonyoung. Why would he even think about kissing someone else?

He pulled back with a start, wide eyes staring up at Soonyoung's glassy ones.

This was so fucked up.

"Ji-"

"I-I can't, I have to-"

"Jihoon?"

Jihoon flinched as he heard his name called out from behind him.

No. This wasn't happening. That couldn't possibly be-

"Did you just kiss someone else?"

Jihoon dared to turn around, face pale, jaw slack. Please, God, Buddha, Jumong, anyone who was listening, please let this be in his head, please say there was no one there.

But of course, he wasn't that lucky, his boyfriend, the love of his life, was stood behind him and had just seen him kiss someone else.

"S-Seungcheol, I..." His heart was racing, mouth dry. He had no idea what to say. "I'm so s-"

But Seungcheol ignored him, walking straight past Jihoon and approaching Soonyoung.

Oh, fuck. He was going to knock Soonyoung out, wasn't he? Seungcheol had always been a little possessive and now he was going to cave Soonyoung's head in and they'd all find out what had been going on between them and there'd be so many arguments and the fans would find out because how could they possibly explain a black eye that even makeup wouldn't cover and they'd be all over news sites and they'd be forced to disband and all of his years of training would have been for nothing and he'd never work in the entertainment industry again and he had no experience in any other job sector so he'd be reduced to flipping burgers or cleaning toilets for the rest of his life and-

Wait.

Was...

Why was Seungcheol kissing Soonyoung instead of pummelling him into the ground? Was Jihoon so stressed over what was about to happen that he was having some kind of stroke and seeing things?

"Wh-"

Seungcheol hummed to himself as he pulled away, as both Jihoon and Soonyoung gaped at him, the latter's face bright red.

Did that really just happen?

Jihoon's heart lurched as Seungcheol turned to him, face poker straight. Fuck. He was in so much shit.

But his ridged body practically melted as a strong hand wrapped around his lithe wrist, thumb rubbing gentle circles into his palm. Seungcheol wasn't mad at all, was he?

"We need to talk."

Soonyoung flinched as fingers intertwined with his as well. Seungcheol's. What the-

"All three of us."

So, they did. There were tears and some raised voices and a lot of cuddling and even a couple of kisses. But they talked, all night. They were honest and came clean with one another about everything. They finally let all of their feelings out in the open and realised that all along that was all they needed; some communication. They needed to stop bottling things up, stop avoiding each other, stop avoiding their emotions.

And it took some time, some getting used to, but something beautiful developed between the three of them. Something they couldn't quite explain, but didn't really need to, because they knew that what they had...worked. It just worked.

Jihoon groaned as his alarm went off. It always felt like his head has just hit the pillow and there was that incessant beeping again. He reached over a sleeping body to turn it off, before climbing out of bed when arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him back down.

"Not yet."

"Soonyoung, I have things to do, I-"

"Shh." The elder whispered into caramel hair. He was sick of Jihoon waking up so early when he didn't even have to. He felt like his boyfriend was running on empty, causing himself extra stress and anxiety and he needed him to just relax, even for a couple of extra minutes. "I want a cuddle."

Jihoon huffed, but let his body go limp, regardless. Soonyoung was stronger than he looked, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't completely shattered. Maybe a little longer wouldn't hurt. Plus, Soonyoung's arms were so warm and inviting how could he say no?

He snuggled into the dancer's chest, arms slowly snaking around his waist as he reciprocated the hug. This was nice. Really nice.

"Fine, but only because you give the best cuddles."

"Rude."

Jihoon's lips quirked up into a smile as someone scoffed behind him.

"You're the best at other things, Cheollie, don't worry." Jihoon reached back, feeling around for his other boyfriend so he could pull him into their hug, to make a Jihoon sandwich. His favourite kind.

"Yeah, like choking him with your dick." Soonyoung quipped as Jihoon tapped him on the butt in an attempt to chastise him, he wasn't sure it worked, though. "That was pathetic, spank me harder, Jihoonie."

Jihoon giggled a soft 'shut up' into his boyfriend's chest, humming contentedly as Seungcheol came to join them, arms wrapping around Soonyoung's waist, only to trap Jihoon between them.

Perfect.

"Go back to sleep, both of you." The eldest of them mumbled into Jihoon's hair. As much as he loved his boyfriends, they had a tendency to make a lot of noise, especially of a morning, and he just wanted some more shut-eye.

"Yes, Daddy." Soonyoung smirked, leaning over the top of Jihoon's head to press a chaste kiss to Seungcheol's lips, followed by one to Jihoon's forehead. "I love you both."

He honestly had no idea how this all happened. He went from pining over his best friend and their leader to being absolutely devastated when he found out they were together to the three of them being in this three-way polyamorous relationship. It was pretty insane, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Love you too." Seungcheol whispered back, barely sleep took over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments and kudos are always greatly appreciated!! pls let me know what u thought ♡  
> if you wanna shout at me abt anything feel free to add me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/lowkeyamen) (i am friendless) or on [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/lowkeyamen/) (where i talk all sorts of gay shit) and i also have a [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/lowkeyamen) bc, well, i am despo for attention pls love me uwu thank u xo


	3. Pancakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soonyoung wants to surprise his boyfriend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So seventeens comeback is fucking amazing to literally no ones surprise when are their comebacks anything less than fucking amazing so here is some leaderline fluff bc!!!!! Well why not

"Jihoon!"

Jihoon buried his head under the covers. Whoever was whispering his name could piss off. There was no way he was moving yet. 

"Jihoon! Wake up!"

Ugh. Soonyoung. He should have known. Who else would be annoying him this early in the morning? 

He rolled over, not because he was getting out of bed, but so he could glare at his boyfriend. 

"Fuck. Off." Jihoon warned. He couldn't be bothered with Soonyoung's shit the majority of the time, never mind when he was still half asleep. 

Wait. 

Was...was Soonyoung covered in flour?

Jihoon sat up, leaning on his elbow. 

"What are you doing?"

"Making Daddy breakfast." Soonyoung beamed. Jihoon looked over his shoulder to see Seungcheol still flat out, dark hair fanned out against the pillow. "And you're going to help me."

Jihoon groaned. He really didn't want to get up yet...but it would be nice to be able to surprise Seungcheol like that. He knew how stressed out their boyfriend had been lately, looking after them all as they prepared for their comeback. He deserved a little treat. 

Plus, he wasn't sure he trusted Soonyoung to do it alone. 

"Okay, fine." He groaned, letting Soonyoung pull him out of bed. It was cold, too cold to be up, but he couldn't really complain once the elder's arms were wrapped around him and in a snuggly back hug. Soonyoung had his uses, he guessed. 

"Oh my fucking god."

Jihoon's jaw dropped as he entered the kitchen. Wonwoo was going to kick off. There was...stuff everywhere. Broken eggs on the counter, a spilled bottle of milk dripping onto the floor, a mixing bowl which he could only presume was filled with batter considering that's what it looked like was all over the bench. He sighed. Great. 

"How did you manage to make so much mess?"

Soonyoung shrugged, going back to his mixing bowl. "It's not that bad. Hey can you see if we have any blueberries in the fridge? Blueberry waffles would be cute."

"We don't have a waffle iron."

"A what?"

"A waffle iron. What you put the batter in to cook the waffles? So they _look_ like waffles?" Was Soonyoung really this stupid? How else did he think they got all those little squares in them? 

Soonyoung hummed to himself, managing to flick batter at the wall as he thought to himself. That was a fair point, actually. That hadn't even crossed his mind. 

"Guess we're making pancakes, then."

Jihoon could complain about Soonyoung's inability to cook, but actually, he was just as bad. He didn't even know how to boil an egg. 

"Why do they keep burning?" The smallee boy whined as he tossed another failed pancake in the trash. This wasn't going as he had planned. 

"I dunno, we're doing exactly what it says on google."

"Maybe we should try something else."

"But he likes pancakes! We can make him some bacon and stuff too, though. I really wanna treat him."

Jihoon smiled to himself. That was cute. They both knew how hard Seungcheol worked for them, for all of them, the entire group, never mind just his two boyfriends. He fully understood why Soonyoung wanted to do something special for him. 

"You know he'd be happy if we just poured him a bowl of cereal or something."

"I know! But this...I dunno I wanna make an effort for him." Soonyoung didn't really know how to explain it. He sighed to himself as he added the last of the batter to the pan. This one better work. He just _really_ wanted to do something nice for Seungcheol. 

He just felt like...like he wasn't a very good boyfriend. He felt like Seungcheol and Jihoon would do anything for him. They were both reliable, a pair of arms he could fall into after a long day, they always knew what to say to make him feel better, to make him smile. And he felt like they didn't really get that from him. He was the joker, the one they rolled their eyes at. Sure, he made them smile, but did he really provide them with any emotional support? He just felt like he wasn't enough sometimes. 

"For fucks sake!" Soonyoung groaned, bordering on a sob. This one has burnt too. Great. All he wanted was to make his boyfriend breakfast, to say thank you, and he couldn't even do that right. 

Jihoon picked up on the frustration in Soonyoung's voice. He sounded like he was on the verge of tears. This had to be from more than just burnt pancakes. 

"Babe...are you okay?"

"I'm fine I just-" Soonyoung threw the last pancake in the trash, picking up the bag of flour to start measuring out yet another set of ingredients for some fresh batter. Why was he so fucking useless? "Why can't I make these fucking pancakes?"

Jihoon flinched as Soonyoung's voice broke. That definitely wasn't something he was used to. Soonyoung didn't really cry, not over something so inferior at least. There must be something bigger going on here. 

"Soon..." Jihoon started, hand on the small of the dancer's back. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." Soonyoung wiped his face with his sleeve before any tears threatened to fall. It didn't count as crying if none of them hit his cheeks. "I just want to do something nice for him."

Jihoon sighed, sitting down on one of the seats at the bench Soonyoung was working at. There had to be more to it. 

"You know he'd be happy with anything, sweetie. Are you sure that's all this is? Are you stressed about the comeback or...?"

Soonyoung shrugged again, eyes focused on the batter as he tried to avoid Jihoon's question by mixing. "Sorta."

"Soonyoung." Jihoon out his hand over his boyfriend's, stilling his stirring. "You can talk to me."

"I-" Soonyoung looked up at the ceiling, trying to will the tears away. He wasn't great at talking about his feelings. "Sometimes I just kinda feel like...the spare part."

Jihoon's eyebrows shot up under his fringe. That definitely wasn't what he was expecting Soonyoung to say. 

Where was this coming from? Did Soonyoung really think that? Like he was just an add-on to his and Seungcheol's relationship? Sure, the two of them had been a couple before they both developed feelings for Soonyoung, but they had tried their hardest to make Soonyoung feel loved and...equal. 

"I just-" Soonyoung started again, before Jihoon made any assumptions. "I feel like you guys support me more than I do you, especially Seungcheol, like- I dunno, it's hard to explain. He always goes to you when he needs comforting and...I just feel like I don't do enough for him compared to what he does for me and...I dunno..."

Jihoon propped his elbow on the counter, and his head on his palm. The last thing he wanted was Soonyoung feeling left out. 

"I think- I think it's just because we've known each other for so long, baby. You love him, and that means everything to him."

"Really?"

"Yes!" Jihoon intertwined their fingers, urging Soonyoung to look at him. "He loves you so much and you have no idea how happy it makes him that you love him back. You have no idea how much your smile brightens his day, either. It helps him a lot more than you think, Soonyoung."

Soonyoung swallowed thickly. He knew that, on some level. He wasn't questioning his relationship with the two of them; he just didn't always know where he fit into it. He felt a bit useless sometimes. 

"I just...I love him - and you, obviously - and I just wanted to show him, I guess."

"That's cute." Jihoon stood up, pulling Soonyoung away from the bowl and into his arms. He hated seeing his boyfriend upset, just wanted that stupid smile plastered back on his face like always. "You're cute."

Soonyoung let himself relax as Jihoon reached up in his toes to press a kiss to his lips. He didn't know why he was so worked up over this all of a sudden. It was probably a mixture of exhaustion and stress making him insecure about his relationship. He knew they loved him. 

"I know!" He beamed as Jihoon pulled away, back to his usual cheeky self now his mood was perking up. "I'm the cutest person in this whole group."

Jihoon stifled a scoff. He would usually make some snide remark, but he figured he'd let Soonyoung have that today. He was pretty adorable, after all. 

"So, we still going for pancakes then?" Jihoon turned back to the mess in the kitchen. It seemed like a waste to just throw the batter away, they might as well try not to burn these ones. 

 

༄

 

Seungcheol groaned to himself as sunlight streamed through the crack in his curtains. He didn't know what time it was but he wasn't sure he was ready to wake up yet. He didn't have to do anything today, and would happily spend what little free time he had lying around in bed with his boyfriend's. 

But his bed felt kind of cold. He didn't have anyone suctioned to his back and everything was eerily silent. Where were Jihoon and Soonyoung? They were usually either making out or bickering at this time of morning. 

He sat up, running his hands through his dark hair as he swung his legs out of bed, intent on finding his boyfriend's. It was weird for them to be out of bed unless they had to be. He reached over to grab a shirt when he paused, sniffing. Was that...

Smoke?

Shit. 

He ran to the kitchen, hoping to god someone hadn't left something on the hob unattended. The last thing he needed was the fire brigade down here. Again. 

But, instead he was confronted with a giggling Jihoon, trying to escape from Soonyoung's grasp as the elder smeared whipped cream on his face, his other arm wrapped tightly around Jihoon, arms pinned to his sides so he couldn't fight back. 

"Soonyoung!" Jihoon yelped as the elder squirted more cream in his hair. "There's gonna be none left for the pancakes!"

"I'm sure he won't mind licking it off of you."

Seungcheol leaned up against the door frame, arms folded across his chest, an amused smile on his lips as he watched the two of them mess about. This was different to the bickering he had become accustomed to. 

And then the smoke alarm started beeping. 

Fuck. He had completely forgotten about the smoke. 

"Shit!" Soonyoung let go of Jihoon, face falling as he realised yet another pancake was nothing more than charcoal. Maybe he should just give up on this and bring Seungcheol breakfast in from somewhere else instead. 

"Jihoon? Pass me that towel!"

Wait...wasn't that Seungcheol's voice?

Soonyoung turned around to see his dark-haired boyfriend wafting a tea towel around, trying to stop the smoke alarm from beeping. 

"Hey! You're supposed to be in bed!"

Seungcheol shot him a 'are you for real?' look as he climbed on a chair to get closer to the sensor. The incessant high pitched buzzing was giving him a headache and it was only a matter of seconds until Jeonghan burst in complaining that they were ruining his beauty sleep. 

"I'm trying to fix your mess here, Soonyoung. What's going on, anyway? The place is upside down."

"It was meant to be a surprise." Jihoon replied through gritted teeth, motioning over to Soonyoung with his eyes in the hope Seungcheol would somehow get the message. "Soonyoung wanted to surprise you."

"Well, congratulations, I'm surprised." Seungcheol shot back, a little louder than intended considering the smoke alarm stopped beeping mid-sentence and he didn't quite have time to readjust the volume of his voice. 

Jihoon inwardly groaned as Soonyoung seemed to curl in on himself, scraping the remnants of the cremated pancake into the garbage can. 

"Look, can you just go back to bed. Please?" Jihoon closed in on Seungcheol, speaking in a low voice. He knew how much Soonyoung wanted to do this for their eldest boyfriend, and he really couldn't cope with the blonde getting upset again. 

Seungcheol's eyes flitted between the two of them, eyebrows knitting together before unravelling as the penny finally dropped. 

"Were you gonna make me breakfast in bed?" The question was directed at Soonyoung, who audibly gulped, trying to fight back the tears. 

"Well, I was trying to."

A soft smile cracked onto Seungcheol's face, striding over to Soonyoung so he could wrap him up in a hug. He couldn't really be mad at his boyfriend when he was trying to do something so sweet for him. Sacrificing his own rare lie-in to make Seungcheol pancakes. How precious. 

"You didn't have to do that." Seungcheol chuckled, pressing a kiss to Soonyoung's quivering lip. He tasted like whipped cream. 

"I just wanted to look after you. You always look after me- after all of us so..."

"I love looking after you." Seungcheol stole another kiss; he wanted to let Soonyoung know that he wasn't mad. The kitchen could be tidied, after all. "You know that."

"I know, but..." Soonyoung cast his gaze down to Seungcheol's bare chest, not really sure where to look. "Sometimes I just feel like a really shitty boyfriend compared to Jihoon and-"

"Soonyoung." Seungcheol's voice was abrupt, stopping Soonyoung from finishing and causing the younger to look up at him. "You know I don't compare the two of you."

"I know, but-"

"Soonyoung, baby, listen to me." Seungcheol bright his hands up to cup Soonyoung's cheeks, to make sure the dancer couldn't look away, so he could stare deep into his boyfriend's eyes. "I _love_ you, so, so much, and as cute as this is, you don't have to go out of your way to prove yourself to me. Okay? Just being with you makes me happy. You're an amazing boyfriend; you always make me smile and I can always depend on you and no one makes me laugh like you do. So don't doubt yourself. I am madly in love with you, you hear me?"

Soonyoung swallowed thickly. Seungcheol spoke with such conviction that he...well, how could he not believe him? 

"I-I love you too."

Seungcheol beamed, pressing another, much deeper kiss to Soonyoung's lips. He hated the idea of either of his boyfriend's thinking he favoured one over the other because he really did love them equally. He may have been with Jihoon for longer, but Soonyoung was just as important in his eyes. 

"Okay, so," Seungcheol pulled away, slinging an arm around Soonyoung's shoulders as he turned to face Jihoon. "How about I show you two how to make pancakes properly?"

Jihoon settled down at the kitchen bench as he watched Soonyoung and Seungcheol get on with it, he felt like they needed this little thing together, just the two of them. Plus, they were absolutely adorable to watch; Seungcheol's arms wrapped around Soonyoung as he helped him mix the batter from behind, more blueberries ending up in Seungcheol's mouth than in the pancakes as Soonyoung insisted on hand feeding him, the squeak of excitement from Soonyoung's lips as the first pancake they made together was a success. They were just the cutest. 

"So, who's ready for pancakes in bed?" Seungcheol grinned; a huge stack of blueberry pancakes drenched in syrup and whipped cream in hand, Soonyoung draped over his shoulders. 

Jihoon grinned back. That sounded perfect. 

"What about the mess, though?" There was still flour and milk everywhere, kitchen utensils and pans caked in burnt batter piled high in the sink. The place was a state. 

Seungcheol looked around. Jihoon was right, there would be ructions later on if they left it like this. 

But...

"Fuck it." 

Jihoon gaped back at the dark haired boy. Was he being serious? Their no-bullshit leader was actually going to let them leave the place like this? 

"Someone else can deal with it." Seungcheol shrugged. "I have a breakfast date with my boyfriend's."


End file.
